Friendship in the world's greatest love story

For people who think they know Romeo & Juliet, how does the show shake things up?

Sandra: Our version starts where the other Romeo & Juliet story finishes. Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway isn’t too keen on the ending, especially when it comes to how things end for Juliet, and she wonders: ‘Why does Juliet have to follow the same fate as Romeo? Why can’t this be the start of a new adventure for her, where this tragedy forces her to find herself?’ So that’s where our story begins, as Juliet goes on a real adventure with a new group of friends – although she does keep her nurse Angélique.

Gerardine: It gives a familiar story a more modern, fresher feel, with a very clever twist. As Sandra says, it asks ‘What if Juliet didn’t kill herself?’ as it sort of rewrites her life and allows her to explore the world around her without Romeo, at least at the beginning.

You’re playing well-known characters but how would you describe them as depicted in the show?

Gerardine: Juliet is super sassy and opinionated but doesn’t quite know where to direct those traits. She is such a fiery character and I see quite a lot of myself in Juliet, although she’s like a heightened version, super silly, who faces every problem head-on. She tries to hone in on her strong opinions as she seeks to find her way through life. Jack Danson, who plays Romeo, is great because he gives me a lot of things to play off. She wears the trousers in this relationship, especially later on. She finds herself standing up for herself, which is something I completely admire about her and something that I think a lot of young people could learn from.

Sandra: Angélique’s role within the Capulet family and her relationship with Juliet have defined her personality for many years. She’s the emotional support for Juliet, the mother figure and the person who keeps her on the straight and narrow, but she’s also her best friend. It’s interesting because in the original Shakespeare play you see that side of her but in this show, we explore who she is further and it’s a lot of fun. She goes on her own little journey; she finds herself and she finds love – all things that are not explored in the original version. But believe me, as in any love story it’s not as straightforward as you’d expect. There’s a love twist and let’s just say that it’s quite energetic!

Gerardine, do you see Juliet as a contemporary role model?

Absolutely. She’s a heroine for young people in the audience and a heroine for me too. She sets an example that I want to live by. She finds herself as she navigates her life throughout the musical and I can relate to that because I’m also trying to find my way through life. She’s a little bit like a guardian angel for me.

Sandra, you’re no stranger to musical theatre but what hooked you in about & Juliet?

I love the themes, I love the empowerment aspect of it and I love the diversity of the cast. There are so many positive messages in this show that so many people can relate to. It’s not just for the young ones or mature audiences. There’s a storyline in there for everyone, whether it’s dealing with your first love, coming to terms with and accepting yourself for who you are and not what society thinks you should be, or finding yourself within a relationship. It’s a show that is so relatable for so many people and it’s beautifully handled, with a lot of humour and heart as well. It’s very touching but it’s also hilarious, and it feels very modern because it’s not in Shakespearean prose. And then there’s also Backstreet Boys and Britney songs, among many others, so what more could anyone want?!

Gerardine, this is your first professional role. That must be exciting?

It’s beyond exciting. It’s fantastic. It’s exceeded my expectations. Even the audition process was great. It was so much fun. I’ve never felt that much fun in an audition room before and the team was lovely and so warm, so there was no additional pressure on top of the usual nerves. It’s a brilliant show and the songs are just fantastic. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be singing Kelly Clarkson songs or all those other great tunes?

If you both had to pick a few career highlights what would they be?

Sandra: Sister Act will always be close to my heart. Hairspray was my first lead and my first West End show was Trevor Nunn’s Porgy and Bess. The ensemble score was in the operatic key and I’m classically trained originally, so to sing that operatic score was just mind-blowing. There are loads of other highlights, from appearing on Emmerdale to being a backing singer for Kate Bush when she did her 22-date residency at the Eventim Apollo. One day I was on stage for the soundcheck, and the musicians were just riffing and jamming together and I thought ‘Pinch yourself and remember this moment’. And Kate herself was amazing, such an immensely empowering lady.

Gerardine: & Juliet is my highlight because it’s my first big-girl job. Coming out of drama school straight into such a beautiful musical, I’ve been super-duper excited because this material is just fantastic. There’s waves of pressure, not necessarily from external sources but because I feel like everyone in the cast holds themselves to a high standard. But that just makes me want to achieve a high standard too.

What do you especially enjoy about performing in musical theatre?

Sandra: I like how clever it is. If people go and watch a good musical they’re taken on a journey. As a performer, I feel that with practically every character that I’m fortunate to play I learn something about myself. I think it’s the same for an audience; you laugh, you cry and you discover something about yourself.

Gerardine: I think I can speak on behalf of a lot of people who do musical theatre when I say that it’s such a beautiful form of expression. We’re very expressive and in touch with our emotions to the point that we want to sing and dance about it as we deep-dive into other characters and how they feel. Musical theatre is so special to me because at a time when I didn’t have the words to express my thoughts and feelings, musicals and even plays did that for me.